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The Definition of Watercolour
The Australian Watercolour Institute [AWI] determines the definition of watercolour
quite loosely
as any painting that uses water as a vehicle and/or consists of pigment that requires water as a soluble agent.
To this effect various mediums used separately or mixed are acceptable such
as watercolour, gouache, acrylic and tempura casein.
Technology has advanced to the stage where water-soluble oil paint is available, which tends to confuse the opportunity of definition.
Paintings may also be enhanced by the use of such materials as charcoal, pencils and pastel.
To draw a strictly definitive explanation to satisfy the purist is to step back into the past.
Tthe AWI however, endeavours to encourage the use of transparent pigment that allows the white paper to
produce the wonderful glow of translucency to the colour.
Impasto techniques of thick, rich pigment are encouraged to a lesser degree.
To confuse the issue more, some artists experiment with other transparent
mediums that result in
a watercolour look to their work.
In summary, the final definition is quite subjective and requires a degree
of “nous”.
The old proverb comes to mind - “rules are made to be broken” - but by how much?
- Graham Austin, AWI Emeritus President
Graham Austin Watercolour Paintings
Those artists who say, "I don't bother myself with watercolour" may have good reason to ignore its challenge.
Whilst those who throw down the gauntlet often become addicted. Those who can do.
- Graham Austin
Watercolour paintings are often mistakenly thought of as fragile and feminine, therefor of secondary importance to the tough,
masculine oil medium. And then there are acrylic paintings somewhere in between.
To complicate things even more some artists
use transparent washes of acrylics to create their watercolour paintings.
However, this being said many continue to regard watercolour paintings secondary to oils.
Why is it we are so forgiving of oils that have cracked, flaked or darkened with time?
By comparison we forget about the ancient manuscripts [which fall into the watercolour category and
created before any knowledge of acid free papers used today] having survived for centuries with sensible care.
This overpowering belief, perpetuated over the years, that watercolours should
be regarded as secondary is
surely one of the art world’s haunting urban myths. All three mediums, acrylics, oils and watercolours are
deserving of equality and balance of stature. On the one hand the masculine oil medium
celebrates its harshness of texture, colour and possible grotesqueness whereas,
watercolour rejoices its natural subtleties, poetic luminosity and glorious spontaneity.
Acknowledging the qualities of both is yin and yang, a natural balance.
Perhaps the imbalance of perception apart from a generally lower price structure,
has sprouted from
the outspokenness of artists who deny watercolour as their oeuvre because of its difficult technical idiosyncrasies.
Many brush aside their own inadequacies by saying “I don’t bother myself with watercolour”. The fact is those who can do and revel in the experience.
Graham Austin's watercolours, like his Acrylics and Oils, also emphasise the aerial drama of the Australian landscape.
His watercolours give the dextrous impression of having fallen off the brush onto the painting surface with
washes of workmanlike elegance and incorporating his tradition of spotted textures.
Graham’s watercolours may show a forest of green spots, shadow linked,
flowing like a current over a fringe of red ochre.
The existence of borrowed colours, intermixed and settled into the local colour helps the production of his visual poetry.
His watercolours adopt some of the attributes of his acrylics. He thoroughly
rejoices in
the luminosity of colour washes, encouraging the glowing effect from white paper instead of using white pigment.
Acrylics, Oils and Watercolour Paintings
Other Website Links of Interest:
Australian Watercolour Institute www.awi.com.au
artsConnect: Australian Artists www.artsconnect.com.au
Taylor Galleries www.taylorgalleries.net.auGaleria Aniela www.galeriaaniela.com.au
Rushcutters Bay Gallery www.bevin@rbgallery.com
Electronic Cottage Art & Craft Gallery www.electroniccottage.com
Juried Online Art Festival www.jolaf.com
Indigo Art www.indigoart.com.au
Brian Dunlop www.briandunlop.com
John Caldwell www.waragilstudios.com.au
Bernd Heinrich www.berndheinrich.com
Roger Murphy www.rogermurphy.com.au
Guy Troughton www.guytroughton.com
Robert Wade www.ozemail.com.au/~rawadw
Sculptr.com www.sculptr.com/
Wendy Bookatz www.wendybookatz.com
Saatchi-gallery www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/
Aquarelle Gallery www.aquarellegallery.com.auArtarmon Art Gallery www.artarmongalleries.com.au
Christchurch
Art Gallery New Zealand www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz
Gosford Art Gallery www.gosfordregionalgallery.com
Greythorn Art Gallery www.greythorngalleries.com.au
HotFrog
Australian Business Directory www.hotfrog.com.au
Mosman Art Gallery tst.mosman.nsw.gov.au/mosman/culture/art-gallery
MyArtHost www.myarthost.com
Port Macquarie Art Gallery www.portmacquarieregionalgallery.com.au
Taree Art Gallery www.gtcc.nsw.gov.au/webcomm/mrag/index.php
Wagner Art Gallery www.wagnerartgallery.com.au
Wollongong Art Gallery www.wollongongcitygallery.com
